Family Court - Carroll County

Filing Requirements       Orders

Hearings
Scheduling     Settlement Conferences
Length of Wait Before Hearing
Emergency Hearings     Who Will Hear the Case

Scheduling
Hearings are not scheduled automatically. 

Pendente Lite: For pendente lite hearings you request a hearing using Form 51, and the party should note on it that s/he is requesting a PL hearing. 

Uncontested Divorce: A master is assigned automatically and the parties need to schedule with the master.

Settlement Conferences
The court will hold a settlement conference in cases with an attorney or pro se.

Length of Time to Get a Hearing
The length of time before a hearing varies, wildly, depending on the masters' and judges' schedules and the estimated length of the hearing.

Emergency Hearings - Pro Se Litigants
The circuit court suggests that a pro se litigant who desires an emergency hearing get a lawyer or at least the advice of an attorney. They can attempt to get an emergency hearing by filing form 51 or 52, but it is considered top be difficult for a pro se litigant to successfully demonstrate that there is a "true emergency" to the court's satisfaction.

Who Will Hear The Case
Master: A master will hear contempt cases (besides child support), modification and waiver of fees for pendente lite.
Judge: A judge generally hears jailable contempt cases or final hearings on the merits.



Source: A joint project of the Women's Law Center and MLAN, along with interviews conducted with Family Law Court Coordinators, court clerks and local advocates practicing in this county.  Updated  by the Maryland State Law Library (MSLL).


Date of Last Review: 10/6/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)